SBU counter-intelligence has recently exposed a range of Russia’s assets of 316 Intelligence Centre of Russia’s GU GS AF (Russia’s General Staff of Armed Forces). The head of the Centre, captain I rank Petr Kamenschikov has been fired for failures in operative activities.

The 316 Intelligence Centre is located in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Its employees directly participated in Crimea annexation in 2014. They specialise in subversive activity against Ukraine and provide intelligence for Russian occupational armed forces in the East of Ukraine.

SBU CI found that Kamenschikov was the head of the Centre since 2012 and reinforced the systematic recruiting of Ukrainian citizens. Those have later became a part of intelligence network collecting varied intelligence, or members of combat cells preparing and conducting subversions on the territory of Ukraine.

Since 2014 Ukrainian CI has been successfully countering illegal activity of Russian special services by identifying, detaining and bringing to justice foreign special service assets. During the last exchange of 35x35 captives, which took place on September 7th, 2019, four assets of the 316 Intelligence Centre (convicted for high treason) were sent to Russia, in particular:

1. Antonina Petrivna Radionova, DOB 06.09.1969, Ukrainian citizen, servicewoman of the National Guard of Ukraine, detained by the counter-intelligence in fall 2017, sentenced for high treason to four years imprisonment;

2. Korenovskyi Dmytro Yevstaphiiovych, DOB 18.03.1969, Ukrainian citizen, detained by the SBU counter-intelligence in June 2018, was investigated for high treason.

3. Fedorov Viktor Andriiovych, DOB 18.07.1969, Ukrainian citizen, detained by the SBU counter-intelligence in June 2018, was investigated for high treason.

4. Lomako Yurii Mykolaiovych, born 1961, Ukrainian citizen, ex-servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, detained by the SBU counter-intelligence in December 2018, sentenced for high treason to 5 years of imprisonment.

According to SBU CI materials, Petr Kamenschikov was fired for evident failures, despite his influence and good reference.

The issue of bringing to justice Petr Kamenschikov and other employees of the Centre directly involved in the reconnaissance and subversive activity against Ukraine for espionage is being settled. Currently SBU posted a set of documents, including a notice of suspicion, to one of the supervisors of Ukrainian direction, captain 3 rank Oleksiy Anenko. International mail service confirmed his receiving the notice of suspicion.